Environmental Protection Agency Narragansett Bay Commission University of Rhode Island Inner Space Center

Estuarine Science

Salt Wedge Estuary

Salt wedge estuaries occur when the mouth of a river flows directly into salt water. The circulation is controlled by the river that pushes back the seawater. This creates a sharp boundary that separates an upper less salty layer from an intruding wedge-shaped salty bottom layer. The mouths of the Mississippi, Columbia and Hudson rivers are examples of salt wedge estuaries.



Go to:   Salt wedge estuaries ~ Partially mixed estuaries
Well-mixed estuaries ~ Fjord type estuaries

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"Estuaries Classified by Water Circulation"


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